


Grown Ass Man

by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar)



Series: Imagine Tony & Bucky [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mama Bear Bucky, Protectiveness, Tony Isn't a Tea Cup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 13:25:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3530987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaqen_hgar/pseuds/Finely%20Honed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <span class="small">Prompt: Imagine Bucky finding out what happened to Tony in Afghanistan and getting really protective and Steve gives Tony pitying looks because he remembers what it was like to be the one that Bucky was intent on keeping him safe from everything and Tony just doesn't get it because yeah it sucked but he's fine now and omg bucky stop fussing you big mama bear. AND Imagine Bucky seeing Tony's bare chest for the first time and Tony being self-conscious.</span>
</p><p>Tony Stark looks self-conscious, and it takes Bucky a stupid amount of time to figure out that’s even what he’s seeing on the guy’s face, because he’s never seen it there before.</p><p>“Sorry, shoulda knocked.”</p><p>Which, yeah, he should have, but he was used to rolling into the workshop whenever he felt like it. He certainly hadn’t expected to find a shirtless Tony Stark in the process of doing <em>something</em> with the arc reactor. And sure, he’s staring, has been staring this whole time, right from the moment he’d walked in, because this is the first he’s actually <em>seeing</em> the arc reactor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grown Ass Man

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [托尼斯塔克是个完全具有行为能力的成年人](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5106917) by [dianamiao](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dianamiao/pseuds/dianamiao)



> Originally posted over on [imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com](http://imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com/). Be sure to stop on over and also enjoy the amazing contributions of [Potrix](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Potrix/pseuds/Potrix), [27dragons](http://archiveofourown.org/users/27dragons/pseuds/27dragons), [InnerCinema](http://archiveofourown.org/users/InnerCinema), and [kamaete](http://kamaete.tumblr.com/)!

Tony Stark looks self-conscious, and it takes Bucky a stupid amount of time to figure out that’s even what he’s seeing on the guy’s face, because he’s never seen it there before.

“Sorry, shoulda knocked.”

Which, yeah, he should have, but he was used to rolling into the workshop whenever he felt like it. He certainly hadn’t expected to find a shirtless Tony Stark in the process of doing  _something_  with the arc reactor. And sure, he’s staring, has been staring this whole time, right from the moment he’d walked in, because this is the first he’s actually  _seeing_  the arc reactor.

Bucky always thought it was pretty. It glows through Tony’s clothing, and he’s seen it exposed when Tony is in his flight suit, so he knows it’s not just some fancypants accessory. He isn’t sure why or how he came to the conclusion that it was just something that rested on the surface of Tony’s chest, but now that delusion has been blown clear out of the water.

The reactor goes  _deep_ , like right into the center of Tony, and despite himself, Bucky is thinking of ribs, and lungs, and wondering at the fact that Tony hasn’t complained even once about having his chest hollowed out to make room for this thing. It has to be harder to breathe with that there.

Bucky immediately thinks of back when Steve’s asthma would flare up. Thinks of long nights, having Steve sit up ramrod straight in an attempt to make it easier for the air to get into his lungs. Bucky would sit behind him, make Steve use him for support, while he tried to keep him as warm and relaxed as possible, listening to the air wheezing in and out, in and out. He’d keep his own breathing even and steady, let Steve follow along, just talk to him all through the night, trying to keep him distracted.

“No, it’s cool, come on in, I’m just, ah… I was making some adjustments,” Tony stammers, smiling nervously. He slots the reactor back in his chest, and pulls on a shirt, and refuses to make eye contact until Bucky asks if he wants to go play some Mario Kart.

But it’s too late. He can’t unsee it.

+

“A  _car battery_?”

“C’mon, Buck, keep it down,” Steve begs, but Tony isn’t even around.

Steve does a little head jerk and his eyes roll up, and Bucky realizes Steve’s worried JARVIS is going to snitch on them for gossiping.

“Hey, let’s go for a run,” he suggests in a way that makes it perfectly clear this is  _not_  a suggestion. They will leave the Tower, and Steve will tell him every last detail of what he knows about Tony and Afghanistan, and the arc reactor, because a  _goddamned car battery_!?

+

“What the fuck?” Tony looks legitimately confused, and also sort of horrified. “What is  _happening in my mouth_?”

Bucky folds his arms across his chest. “You’re starting to get a sore throat, and you’ve had way too much caffeine today.”

Tony’s eyes widen in shock. “You swapped my coffee for herbal tea,” he gasps, and that is definitely horror in his voice.

Clint bursts into hysterics as if Bucky has just successfully pulled off the best practical joke ever. Beside him, Steve winces, opens his mouth as if he’s going to suggest Bucky give the coffee back, but one look shuts that down. Right down.

“The honey will feel nice on your throat.”

Bucky sticks a finger underneath the mug and pushes up, effectively forcing Stark to take another sip. Tony complies, probably more out of confusion than anything else. Maybe its because he’s expecting the tea this time, but the irritation vanishes, leaving the confusion all on its lonesome.

“Actually, that’s not bad,” he admits.

Bucky nods, plops back down on the couch, and makes sure Tony drinks all of it.

+

Tony opens one of the lower cabinets intending to use it as a makeshift step stool so he can grab the mini marshmallows off the shelf, when Bucky materializes. Tony only has a second to appreciate the warm, hard body pressed up against his back before there is a flash of metal, and a familiar bionic hand is reaching past his own to easily grab the bag of marshmallows.

“Here ya go,” Bucky says, handing them over.

Tony stares.

“You’re gonna fall and crack your head open trying to climb up the cabinets like that,” Bucky scolds.

Tony _stares._

Bucky ignores the staring, because he’s busy glaring at the cabinets. “What asshole put all the good stuff up on the top shelf anyway?” He immediately begins rearranging the contents of the kitchen cabinets until Tony can reach anything and everything worth reaching, and all Tony can do is hold the marshmallows and stare.

+

“It was a joke,” Clint swears, vaulting over the couch. Bucky is right behind him, and the floor shakes with the impact when Clint is tackled. “You  _gave him tea_!” Clint screams in his own defense.

A minute later, Clint is back in the room, kicking at the ground. “Sorry I swapped the real coffee with decaf.”

“Uh… no problem?”

Bucky looks immensely satisfied, while Steve stares at Tony, a special sort of pity in his eyes.

+

Iron Man hardly has time to process what has happened before shattered Doom Bots are falling from the sky around him, and Bucky is giving him a salute from a nearby rooftop.

+

Bucky snatches the new jar of olives out of Tony’s hand mid-sentence, opens it, hands it back, all without missing a beat.

Nearby, Steve is trying desperately not to laugh at the look on Tony’s face.

+

“Stop!”

Bucky freezes, still holding onto the edges of the blanket he’s just wrapped around Tony’s shoulders. Tony is scowling, and it is adorable, but more importantly, he’s way less likely to catch a cold now. Bucky still isn’t sure why he was out on the balcony only wearing a t-shirt to begin with.

“I can’t take it anymore. I’m a goddamned Avenger, Barnes, not a fragile little teacup!”

Bucky opens his mouth about to say he  _knows_  that, but Tony isn’t done yet.

“I’m a grown ass man. I’m allowed to drink too much coffee, and not sleep for three days, I can stand out here without wearing a jacket, and I sure as shit don’t need you swooping in every five minutes blowing shit up for me when we’re in the field. I can blow my own shit up!” Tony shoves the blanket back at him and storms off, shouting, “Enough is enough, you’re not my mom!”

Bucky stares at the blanket in his hands, then at Tony’s retreating figure, and sighs. Everyone else is suspiciously quiet, and wearing varying expressions of discomfort. Steve slings an arm across Bucky’s shoulders and gives him a little squeeze.

“Told him he should have taken a nap,” Bucky grumbles.

“He isn’t used to being taken care of, Buck,” Steve points out. “Give him some space, it’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

+

“We’re out of marshmallows?” Tony turns the bag upside down and frowns when nothing comes out.

Clint shrugs. “Bucky used to make sure we’d always leave you some, but you went apeshit over the dude being nice to you, so now it’s every man for himself. You reap what you sow, Stark.”

+

Blowing up things on his own isn’t as much fun as Tony remembers it being.

+

For the life of him, he can’t get the new jar of pickles open. Steve pats him on the back as he walks into the kitchen, and Tony hangs his head in defeat, handing the jar over with a silent plea for help.

“You could try apologizing, you know,” Steve suggests, holding onto the pickles. Tony slumps and groans. “He used to do this sort of stuff for me, before. I think he misses taking care of someone.”

“I’m not a teacup,” Tony whines, but he doesn’t sound very convincing.

+

It isn’t just missing the nice little things Bucky would do for him, it’s missing _Bucky_  that’s been getting to Tony. The guy had been up in his personal space non-stop, and that had been a little  _annoying_ , but once he’d stopped Tony had decided that was  _more_ annoying.

He keeps turning to make a joke, only Bucky isn’t next to him.

He misses going around to all of the arcades in the five boroughs and decimating Clint’s high scores together.

Movie night was  _stupid_ without shoulder rubs, and Bucky’s commentary, and sharing popcorn, or giving up and half sprawling on the guy to nap instead. He’s comfortable, and smells good, and has pretty eyes, and a killer smile, and it’s entirely possible one of the reasons Tony was so frustrated by his Mama Bear routine was because… well…

He  _likes_  Bucky.

+

“I need your help.”

Bucky’s eyes widen, and he glances around as their friends not so subtly abandon the living room. Tony walks right up to Bucky holding an unopened jar. Bucky eyes him suspiciously, but accepts the jar, and opens it with a quick twist of his wrist, hands it back.

“Thanks,” Tony says, and sets the jar down. “Um, I have some other stuff I need your help with, too.”

“Oh yeah?” Bucky narrows his eyes.

Tony nods. “Yeah, see, I’ve been getting really cold.”

“Sounds like a problem. Since you’re a grown ass man, have you tried, I dunno, a jacket?”

“I have, actually, but no dice.” He steps closer, and Bucky feels his pulse quicken. “Blankets, too.”

"Tony…"

But Tony had stepped right into his personal space, wraps his arms around Bucky, and wriggles closer.

"That’s better." Tony gives him a squeeze. "Sorry I was an asshole."

"I get it, I can be a bit much. Steve’d do the same thing sometimes." Bucky sighs, and unable to help himself, hugs back.

"Hope he didn’t do this," Tony says, standing on his tiptoes in order to plant a kiss on Bucky.

"No, can’t say he ever did."

Tony smiles, and tries it again. Bucky kisses back this time, says, “So… If you’re still cold, I might know some advanced warming techniques.”

"Really?"

"Gotta warn you, though, they’re not very motherly. Might even be considered unorthodox."

Tony grins wickedly, bats his lashes. “Sounds like something perfect for a grown ass man.”


End file.
